Gilded Cage
by Calintha
Summary: A Yandere!Jumin Han oneshot. This takes place after the Good End for Jaehee Kang, leaving Jumin in need of a new assistant. *OC remains unnamed, as is usual for my oneshots.


I had already been sitting for over an hour in the waiting room with the other hopefuls, each of us wanting the same exact job as the person next to us. Looking at some of the women (and even a few of the men) still in the room with me and how they were dressed, I had a feeling we did not all want it for the same reasons. The number of applicants had dwindled slightly as they were slowly seen and sent off to wait for a phone call, one which would decide their future, good or bad.

The same phone call I would be waiting for as I lived on the savings I'd gathered from my previous job before the place was inherited by a favored grandson. One who had no idea how to run a business and quickly ran his new company into the ground. At least I had managed to stockpile a favorable amount of cash in my account before it happened, rarely taking any kind of vacation.

I had spent so much of my childhood traveling with my parents, as their jobs demanded they move again and again from one country to the next, that traveling did not have the same appeal for me as it did for most. A vacation spent at home did not have much appeal either, compared to the idea of saving up money and simply moving to a new location when I grew bored of where I currently reside, so even those small times away from work tended to be short.

Sure, I would travel for work as needed, but otherwise, I just did not see the draw of spending just a few days in a new location and then have to leave again before I had even really experienced anything. Not when I could simply wait and spend as long as I wanted actually living in and truly learning the culture. But that would wait until after I had a job that gave me stability and enough in savings that I could make that first big move.

A job like this one could be, where I would have the income to be able to really save a lot of money. Enough for a small house or condo in some far off place, one that I could sell some years down the road if I wanted to and have the money to move again.

Finally hearing my name called several minutes later, I stood quietly and walked to the same door so many others had entered and exited from, a feeling of hope slowly growing within my chest. If I got this job, I would no longer have to worry so much about my immediate future, knowing that the son who would someday inherit the company knew how a business was run. I would be able to work here for as long as it took to save up the money I needed, then I could begin chasing my dreams.

* * *

I had thought he was joking, honestly. I would never have suggested the idea if I had knows he was being serious. Honestly, I had expected him to laugh at the idea of a cat cosplay event, let alone a feline version of a maid/butler cafe where the humans would serve the cats rather than other humans. It had been a joke, just a simple joke, but he had actually been interested in the idea!

And to think, things had been going so smoothly for the past few weeks since I had gotten the job. How was I to know the guy was into cats so much that at some point he would begin thinking up actual serious ideas for how to "make life better for cats everywhere" and expect me to help lead such projects? The only thing that kept me from worrying too much about his 'hobby' project was the fact that his actual serious business projects were all so very successful.

Even the following week, after I had looked into his past projects and found more cat-related ones, I had noticed how they never lost so much money that it dragged down the company in any manner that would be concerning. More, it seemed he just took some of the excess funds and used them for a version of what appeared to be his personal form of stress relief.

As long as he didn't put the company at risk, I would ignore his unusual hobby and just do my job the best that I could, maybe seeing if I could tweak some of his ideas so they wouldn't lose as much money. After all, he couldn't be the only cat crazy rich person in the world, otherwise, there wouldn't be so many pampered pets in places like Hollywood and Paris. I just had to make sure the right markets knew about each project as it came along.

* * *

It wasn't until well into my third month with the company that something strange happened. One of his "hobby" projects, the very one I had joked about, had unexpectedly... turned a profit? Who knew that so many cat owners would actually end up being into taking their cats to a maid/butler cafe once they heard of them? Although, it was the butler cat cafe that was the really popular one, a true hit among middle-aged women and their feline companions.

It was nice it had made a profit, but I really didn't want to think too much about what kind of woman would get so excited about watching their cat be waited on hand and foot by some guy in a suit and tie.

Closing the folder in front of me and adding it to the stack of files to take to Mr. Han's office, I turned to the next folder and began reading the fine print that covered several sheets of paper. Once again, I wondered if this would be the day that the work I did would destroy my eyes enough to need glasses all the time instead of just when I was reading.

"Stupid tiny print. Should be illegal to use that small a font," I mumbled quietly as I turned yet another page over, sending a quick glare at the rest of the stack of files I had yet to get to.

* * *

"Yes, that is correct, sir," I spoke calmly as I watched the man slowly flipping through the pages of the file on the desk in front of him. Once he finished, he closed the folder and calmly looked up at me, his face blank of any visible emotion.

"Thank you for informing me of this. Since the idea was originally yours, perhaps you can think up another idea we can work with. If it is even half as successful as this one, it would be an effort worth making. After all, it is for the betterment of cat-kind everywhere that such efforts are put forth," his monotone voice carried clearly through the office before he glanced at a picture on his desk, his eyes almost seeming to soften before he looked at the file he had been reading before I came in earlier.

"I will let you know if anything comes to mind, sir. Thank you for your time," I replied, ready to turn and leave again. I was quickly stopped by the sound of his voice once more filling the room.

"By the way, I was thinking of introducing you to Elizabeth III soon. I need to know if she approves of you or if I will have to look elsewhere for a caretaker for her when I go on business trips. Would tomorrow be a good time for such a thing or do you have plans?" I blinked once he stopped speaking, not having expected such a question.

He wanted me to watch his cat for him? I mean, it wasn't that I didn't like cats. I had no real problem with cats and, thankfully, did not suffer from allergies when around them. But it wasn't like I really knew Mr. Han aside from him being my boss. We were not what I would consider friends, even if we did spend large amounts of time together, as I had been hired to replace his personal assistant who had left not too long before I had begun working for him.

From what I had heard, she had run off with some person to start a bakery. Some rumors even said it was another woman, potentially a lover, but I tried not to pay attention to the office gossip. It was none of my business what someone else did with their life, especially if it made them happy, as long as nobody got unnecessarily hurt in the process.

Realizing that he was still waiting for my answer, I gave my head a small shake to clear my mind and met his eyes once again.

"No sir, I have no plans tomorrow besides the usual chores I do on my day off. Nothing that can't be done either before or after we meet up. Just let me know when and where you wish to meet and I will make sure to be there," I calmly said, refusing to let my confusion show in my voice or on my face.

Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long, since I had planned on washing my bedding tomorrow and the thick comforter I had always seemed to take forever to dry.

* * *

I barely kept myself from fidgeting as I waited for the security guard to finish conversing on his phone. Meeting Mr. Han at his penthouse had been the last thing I had expected to hear from him when he finally told me the place and time for our meeting before he'd turned around and walked out of the office building yesterday. Having thought about it, it did make a bit of sense, since I was supposed to be getting "introduced" to his cat, but it didn't make it any more comfortable of a situation.

Seeing the guard nodding to himself and hang up the phone, I straightened up and met his gaze as he told me to go inside, the door behind him opening as Mr. Han stepped aside to allow me in. As soon as I was inside, the door was once more shut, the click of the lock almost startling with how loud it seemed in the otherwise quiet room.

Soon, my coat was hung and I was left sitting near the windows as he went to get Elizabeth III. What a royal name for a feline to have, being named after a queen. The soft meow suddenly sounding from nearby almost had me jumping from the seat, my hand over my racing heart.

Looking over, I saw Mr. Han standing there with the tiniest smirk on his face, a soft looking white cat in his arms. How the heck had he managed to walk so quietly into the room again with those shoes on? Looking down, I noticed he'd taken the time to slip them off, proving to me that he had planned this to happen.

If not for another soft meow from the cat, her eyes gazing at me as she tilted her head cutely, I would have been having words with the man about his little joke. I didn't know him nearly well enough for him to be pulling pranks on me like that, especially considering how serious he was at the office.

I was almost as shocked as he looked to be when his cat suddenly jumped from his arms and into my lap. Running a slightly trembling hand over her back, unsure of how she would react, I finally relaxed when I heard her soft purr start. Not even looking towards Mr. Han anymore, I began combing my fingers slowly through her fur, one hand moving along her jaw as her purr grew slightly louder.

If I had bothered to look up, I might have noticed the odd look on my boss's face as he looked at me like some new kind of animal he had never seen before.

* * *

The second time I was set to watch Elizabeth III, I ended up buying one of the better brushes I could find, one that was supposed to help get more of the shed fur before it went flying in the air. I also stocked up on lint rollers and a couple reusable lint brushes. By the fifth visit, I had a crazy idea and began collecting some of the abundant fur the cat shed every time she came over. Sure it might be a bit of an odd thing to do, but I had a feeling that Mr. Han would appreciate the end results.

Adding another small clump of hair to the bag, I grinned impishly and zipped it shut again, sending my silent thanks to the company that started the trend in resealable plastic baggies. They were so good at keeping the hair from escaping again between Elizabeth III's visits.

Now I just had to spend a few hours cleaning to make sure there were no remaining hairs floating around somewhere. And vacuum. I definitely had to vacuum, since the hairs on the floor were no longer suitable for use in the 'project' I had given myself.

* * *

It had taken longer than I thought it would, but I had managed to complete it, gathering up just enough of Elizabeth III's fur to create a tiny version of herself for Mr. Han to have on his desk. Thank goodness for all those felting videos I watched since I'd had the idea. Besides, I just know he will like it, seeing how much he always seemed to miss his cat when he was at the office.

Waiting for a good time to sneak in and leave it on his desk, I finally saw my chance when he announced he was going home to have lunch with Elizabeth III. Waiting for the door to close behind him, I grabbed the small bag the felted cat was hidden within and hurried over to his office, slipping inside and closing the door gently behind me.

I had just finished placing the bag on his desk, right on top of his current project's paperwork, when I heard an almost silent click behind me. I froze in place, a chill running up my spine when I heard my boss clearing his throat.

"Is there something you needed in my office?" His voice sounded cold, almost hiding the sound of disappointment that lurked underneath the frigid tone.

Removing my hand from the small bag, I haltingly turned around, trying to find my voice as my mouth opened and shut several times before I gave up and felt my shoulders slump. Stepping to the side, I weakly pointed at the small bag, barely managing to stutter out the word "gift" as I looked down at the floor in defeat. I'd been hoping to surprise him, but it looks like he'd surprised me instead.

Hearing the rustling sound of paper after standing there quietly for a few moments, I almost smiled at the gasp that was soon heard, only my sadness at being caught keeping my lips from curving upwards. If only I had waited a bit longer before going into his office, I would have been able to try after he had come back and left again.

A small part of me wondered why he had come back, but it wasn't that unusual an occurrence for him to do so, having forgotten some item or another in his rush to get home. I should have thought about that, but I had been far too excited to leave him the small gift.

Standing there, lost in my thoughts, I jumped when I heard his voice suddenly in front of me offering a soft apology for earlier, the small felted cat gently cradled in one hand as the other ran a finger slowly across the back of the tiny figure. I had worked extra hard to make sure it retained the fluffiness that Elizabeth III had in very generous quantities. Especially since working with cat hair was harder than I had thought it would be when I came up with the idea.

The subtle look of happiness on his face as he stood there made all the effort worthwhile, a soft smile appearing on my face.

* * *

I had never been so uncomfortable as I was right then, sitting and watching some poor guy in a suit hand feeding bites of salmon to Elizabeth III as her owner watched on with a smile. An actual smile, which was the only reason I wasn't saying anything. At least he was enjoying himself, although I had no idea why he had felt the need to invite me along for this. Was this some kind of test he was giving me? Would the results affect my job? What was I even being tested on?!

I was almost ready to actually start panicking internally when I heard an almost silent laugh from across the table, looking up in shock to see Mr. Han holding a hand in front of his mouth as he cleared his throat, trying to act like nothing had happened. With that simple action, all the worry that had been building up in me vanished, allowing me to remind myself that the man in front of me would not resort to such things.

If Mr. Han wanted to know something about me, he would just ask me in the bluntest manner possible. That was just the kind of man he was.

Smiling softly, I looked over to see the 'butler' gently brushing Elizabeth III's fur with a gem-encrusted fur brush and couldn't hold in the laughter that built up in me at the sight, even if it was a silly reason to laugh so much. As tears rolled down my cheeks from laughing so hard, ignoring the looks I was getting from the people around us, I closed my eyes and wiped the tears away with one of the cloth napkins on the table.

I never got to see the soft look that appeared on Jumin's face as he watched me laugh, his face having already gone back to the neutral look he usually had by the time my eyes were clear enough to see again.

* * *

"Excuse me, sir? What was that?" I asked while looking up at the man before me, unable to hide the mild look of confusion on my face. The well-dressed male once again opened his mouth, repeating the same words as before with that same smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't give out that information without Mr. Han's approval," I stated, slightly shocked that he had, in fact, asked what I had originally thought. Did some people really think they could just walk in and ask for anything they wanted these days without following the proper protocol?

The look of astonishment on his face was rather funny, showing me that he was a man used to getting whatever he asked for. If anyone ever asked, I would refuse to admit that I almost felt a sense of pride in being able to refuse this man. He needed to learn he could not just have anything he wanted in the world, simply because he wanted it.

"Excuse me, I have a meeting to attend," I said as I grabbed my paperwork and escorted the man out of my small office, closing and locking the door behind me. The last thing I needed was him trying to go into my office afterward and get the information for himself. If he wanted it, he could either go about getting it the right way or at least have to actually work for it.

Besides, what business did he have in going through me in such a not-so-sneaky manner when he could and should just ask his son himself? Did he really think I would go behind my boss's back like that just because the man was the Director? I had a better work ethic than that, thank you very much!

* * *

"Tell me honestly, did you really refuse my father in that manner?" Mr. Han's voice came from the doorway, my attention leaving the paperwork I had been going over as I marked my place with a small sticky note before setting it down on the desk.

Looking up, I could not tell if the man was upset with me for refusing his father, if he was happy I had done so, or if he didn't really care either way. Darn him and that perpetually neutral expression of his! Would it really hurt him to smile or frown just a bit more often around me so I could tell if I was upsetting him or not?

"Not really, but I really don't see the point, since you are doing fine without such actions," he said, the smallest of smirks touching his lips before vanishing again, leaving me to almost wonder if I had imagined it.

"Yes, I refused to tell him your private business, since I felt that if he needed to know he could either ask you or go through the proper business protocol for getting the information. Something that would be proper in a leader if they expect their employees to also follow protocol. After all, people learn best through example, even in a business setting," I met his eyes for a moment before looking down again, shifting the file around my desk as if trying to place it perfectly in the center as I mumbled a final phrase before growing silent. "That's why you'll be a good leader for this company someday, as you always seem to expect so much more from yourself than you do from others, even if not everyone else sees it."

I sat there, listening to the silence grow as I began to wonder if maybe I had said too much, had been too outspoken about my thoughts on him and his father. He always seemed to like honesty, but maybe that was a bit too much honesty? After all, I had spoken poorly of his father's tendency to place himself above the rules his own company had, even if I hadn't spoken of the man's poor choice of women in his life. I felt that would just be in exceptionally poor taste, as Mr. Han had to deal with such things enough as it was.

Looking up at the continued silence, I found the doorway empty, Mr. Han's back vanishing down the hallway as he went back to his own office. I should find a way to apologize. Obviously, I had upset him, so much so he didn't even want to continue the conversation. I really needed to learn not to push a sensitive subject like family, especially when it was also combined with business.

* * *

"What are these?" Mr. Han asked as I placed the small, colorful bag on his desk the next day. The many tiny fish decorating the surface were obviously distracting him, catching him poking at one before he pulled his hand back and looked up at me, his head tilting slightly to the side like I had seen his cat do so often.

"They are part of my apology to you for the trouble I caused you yesterday," I quietly stated, hands clasped in front of me as I looked down at the floor, unable to meet his gaze as I hoped he would forgive me for being so out of line. "It's homemade cat treats. My mom used to make them for our neighbor's cat around the holidays so I called her for the recipe last night after work. I have also made reservations for a table at the cafe with Elizabeth III's favorite butler, the young man that slices the salmon so finely?"

I finally trailed off when I noticed how Jumin was looking at me. It was the same way I would look at Elizabeth III when she did something that I couldn't understand the reasoning for, like that time she made three circles around the kitchen before walking into the other room and spitting up a hairball behind my sofa. Of course, that time had the look also filled with a level of disgust that was missing from Mr. Han's face.

"What trouble? Do you mean the way you made my father follow one of his own rules? Perhaps the way you showed respect for my privacy while doing so? Or do you mean the compliment you gave me yesterday?" I glanced up just long enough to see the small smile on his lips as he leaned forward to rest his chin upon his hands, blushing and looking down quickly as I began to fidget.

"But surely it was bothersome for you! I'm sure the Chairman was upset and had a talk to you about me. That must have been troublesome for you, and all because I let my own opinion on his behavior-"

"It was you yourself who said that a man should lead others by example. It would be good if my father would do so more often, but as I do not control him, all I can do is try to do what I can instead to set an example for others. What kind of example would it set if I got upset with you for simply doing your job and following the rules?" The serious look on his face when he asked me that question had me stunned, but deep inside I could feel a warmth grow as I realized that he had actually thought about what I had said yesterday. He had taken my words into actual consideration, even though I am sure he had heard similar things all his life.

"Yes, Mr. Han. Thank you for your kindness and honesty," I offered him a smile as he began to lean back in his chair again, a small look of satisfaction on his face. Slipping a small envelope out of my pocket, I slid it across the desk towards him. "But you're still stuck with the lunch date with Elizabeth III. After all, it's already paid for and I happen to know you have no other plans at that time this weekend. Consider it a thank you instead, if you want, for all the hard work you do for us!"

Slipping out of the room, I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stifle the laughter at the look he'd had on his face. Maybe he was starting to show more expressions around me, after all, since I was sure he'd never shown any of the other employees such a look of almost comic suffering before.

I wonder if his last assistant ever got to see such interesting expressions on his face?

* * *

I could have sworn I left it right in here, just like I always do. How odd. Where else could it be? Did I place it somewhere else without thinking and forget about it? Oh, this wasn't good at all!

"Is everything alright? You look rather worried," came that ever so familiar voice, a small hint of concern almost unnoticeable if not for the months of experience I had learning the subtle changes in his voice.

Looking up, I offered Jumin a half-hearted smile, shrugging before I finally pushed the drawer I had been searching inside closed again. There was no sign of it anywhere on, in, or around my desk and no matter how much I wracked my brain, I couldn't remember moving it from the drawer I had placed it in earlier.

"Actually, I seem to have misplaced my keyring. I could have sworn I put it in my desk drawer, the same as every other day, but I must have moved it without thinking?" I ended with a questioning note due to still being unable to figure out where else I would have placed the keyring.

I'd already checked all of my pockets and the small briefcase I always carried important files in without any luck. Where else could it be?

"You're sure you didn't leave it somewhere by accident? Maybe when you went to lunch?" The hint of concern had been brought up a notch, the corners of his lips turned ever so slightly down as he took a step into the room, his own eyes beginning to scan the area.

Glancing down at my hands for a moment, I looked up again and slowly shook my head, knowing that my desk and pockets were the only places I had checked so far. Before I stood up to start heading to the lunchroom, I got down on my knees and glanced underneath the desk, searching the floor with my eyes just in case the keyring had somehow fallen under the glass and metal frame. A small part of me missed the old wooden desk I used to have, as this one always seemed so cold to the touch.

"Nothing," I mumbled with a feeling of resignation, about to climb back to my feet when I noticed the hand being held in front of me. Blushing, I carefully took his hand and stood before speaking again.

"Thank you, Jumin," I whispered softly, not even noticing I had used his given name rather than his family name.

Just like I didn't notice the surprised but pleased look that flashed in his eyes for a moment before he began to lead me to the front desk to see if anyone had turned in my keyring before moving on to look elsewhere. During the next hour, I had checked over and under every seat in the lunchroom, looked in corners and under tables, and even searched behind the toilets in the bathroom just in case I had somehow left it in my pocket during work today and it had fallen out there.

In the end, my keyring never showed up, neither during the search nor at the desk when we checked again, and I was left with the option of either calling a taxi or accepting the ride offered by Mr. Han. This time I did see the smile that graced his lips for a short time when I told him yes, finding it slightly charming to see on him, which in turn caused a small blush to join the smile I returned to him.

* * *

I should never have agreed to the ride. Let alone the ones that followed until the day my keyring finally showed up again. That had been the start of everything going wrong, even though at the time it seemed like it was getting better. I had simply thought we were becoming better friends, spending more time together outside of the workplace. He'd started showing more and more outward signs of the emotion he was feeling, smiling and even laughing from time to time in the privacy of our homes.

Yes, he even started coming to visit me at my own place of residence, even if it was not nearly as extravagant as his own. He would always bring along a small gift of some kind when he came over. At least, in his eyes, it was a small gift. Most people would have called it something along the lines of 'tastefully expensive'. Usually, it would be a small box of hard to find chocolates, a bouquet of rare flowers, or some small trinket I had talked about at some point over the previous week.

Once in a while, it would be jewelry or a piece of clothing that I would try to refuse and he would simply give me a look that told me my arguing was a futile thing. Even when I would leave the item on his desk after he left work the next day, I would simply find it back on mind in the morning and the game of gift exchange would continue until I finally gave in and took it back home with me.

And when I went to his place, I would bring homemade cat treats and something from my mother's recipes that was more geared towards human consumption. Sometimes it would be baked goods and other times it would be whatever candy my mom insisted I try my hand at. Each was accepted by him with a smile and thanks. And each one helped me to unknowingly set my future more and more thoroughly at his side. Whether it was what I wanted or not.

Thus it is that I now find myself here, trapped in this gilded cage where I waited for the only human contact I had with the world to return home, praying that somehow he would regain his sanity and let me go. But knowing deep inside that it would never happen, because he was totally sane while doing this to me, something far more frightening on some levels than if he had been crazy. At least if he'd been mad, I would have known that there was a chance he could get help, that he could recover from his mental break. But how do you fix what is not broken?

Hearing her pitiful meow, I crouched down and reached through the bars and gave Elizabeth III a gentle pat.

"At least he didn't lock us both up. Maybe someday you'll escape and bring someone back to rescue me, right?" I laughed to myself as I spoke, pulling my arms back in and wrapping them around myself, knowing that such a thing would never happen. After all, even his security was not allowed in this room, only the hidden cat flap allowing Elizabeth access when Jumin was gone.

But that didn't stop the smallest part of me trying to keep the hope alive.


End file.
